The 2006 Nardo possesses the essence of melted road tar, bacon fat, smoke, ripe red cherries and spices. The Nardo is the most linear and sinewy of the 2006s but it continues to grow in the glass as its inner core of perfumed red fruit gradually emerges. This structured, brooding red finishes with incredible purity and length. Today the wine is holding back much of its potential, but readers who can be patient will be rewarded with a breathtaking wine. Simply put, this is gorgeous stuff. In 2006 Nardo is 50% Montepulciano, 30% Sangiovese and 20% Marselan. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026.
I have been following these 2006s from Montepeloso and proprietor Fabio Chiarellotto for three years. Now that the wines are in bottle their true potential is clearly evident. It appears I underestimated the 2006s from barrel, as all three offerings are showstoppers of the highest level. My scores from bottle are in some cases significantly higher than from barrel. The 2007s are also very beautiful; in fact Montepeloso is one of a handful of estates where the 2007s are very close in quality to the 2006s. I tasted the 2007s as final blends just prior to their bottling. Chiarellotto believes his wines shut down for several months after bottling so with his 2007s he added the final dose of SO2 in two stages, in between which he prepared the sample bottles I received. I chose to score the wines in parentheses to indicate that technically they were not fully finished. If history is any indication, I have tended to err on the side of excess caution when judging the wines at this early stage in their lives. This year Chiarellotto also has a new, entry-level wine, A Quo, that is sure to thrill Montepeloso fans looking for an alternative to the higher-end bottlings. In short, these are marvelous Tuscan reds that readers will absolutely not want to miss.
Importer: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484